An Project On Investigative Journalism - 1025 Words

Methodology My proposal focuses on a particular set of cultural practices, organizations, productions, and identities, such as those mobilized by the performance of investigative journalism in Chile in a post-authoritarian moment. I am particularly acknowledging culture’s conception as a process and a set of practices and not a collection of things (Hall, cited by Rose, 2016: 2), constituted by â€Å"interworked systems of construable signs† by which culture is actually a context within which â€Å"social events, behaviors, institutions, or processes† can be intelligible, â€Å"thickly described†, and not an outcome of some measurable causes (Geertz, 2008: 36). In this vein, this proposal recognizes Martà ­n Barbero’s perspective in which popular and†¦show more content†¦That is, this project focuses on the culture specific, from the view of its players, because â€Å"people describe their world not as it is but as they make sense of it† (Babbi e, 2013). Admitting that this inductive bottom-up strategy reduces its comparative potential (Hanitzsch, 2007) and that cultural analysis is intrinsically incomplete (Geertz, 2008), it rather gains from developing conceptualizations in a specific political, economic, and cultural context. The proposal’s aim is making sense of what historically has happened in the field of Chilean investigative journalism and better understand the features of this particular experience. Doing so, it contributes to expand a research field heavily based upon Western literature, theories, and cultural frameworks (mainly US and Anglo-Saxon) that comparative perspectives are not fully addressing particular historical experiences, geographical dimensions, or cultural features (Hanitzsch, 2007; Waisbord Mellado, 2014). By understanding culture as a set of entangled meanings, this proposal advocates for what Geertz calls an interpretive effort in search of meanings rather than an experimental science looking for laws (Geertz, 2008). I borrow the concept of thick description applied to ethnography (Geertz, 2008) and adapt it to this methodological proposal asShow MoreRelatedInvestigative Journalism Specialization Essay554 Words   |  3 PagesI was working for six months on my thesis research, a journalistic investigation entitled â€Å"The Other Side of Ecomafia †. It was my first experience as an investigative reporter, but I immediately realized that it would not be the last. Indeed, the problems my land was going through in those years awakened a passion for investigative journalism in me. The thesis has been an exciting challenge. It gave me the opportunity to conduct an in-depth research over several months, gather and organize largeRead MoreLatin American Watchdogs Essay743 Words   |  3 Pagesexperience for Latin American watchdogs. Indeed, more than a decade ago regional and national networks have been developed for strength both individual professional skills and media performance, particularly investigative proficiency. Among the institutions devoted to improving the crafting of journalism can be counted the Colombian-based Fundacià ³n para el Nuevo Periodismo Iberoamericano (FNPI) and the Peruvian-based Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS), both reaching regional audiences and networks. AlongsideRead MoreThe Role Of Journalism And Its Impact On Journalism2056 Words   |  9 PagesHistorically, professional journalism has been built around two fundamentals: visual and textual. While numbers have played a role in journalism as well, journalists have constantly downplayed their importance in making up the professional skillset, which leads to a difficulty in presenting numerical data responsibly and accurately (Maier 2002). A noteworthy is the subfield of computer-assisted reporting, which focuses on examining quantitative data through a journalistic lens. Over the past severalRead MoreThe Field Of The Investigative Journalism1508 Words   |  7 Pagesalso triggered transformations in other fields upon which journalism has an impact. As it is performed, the journalistic field tends to reinforce the economic (commercial) field instead of the pure one. Following Bourdieu, the journalistic field was settled during the 19th Century through the opposition between the sensationalist newspapers and the analytical or serious newspapers (p. 4). Additionally, the article is helpful for my final project because it sketches ways to measure the autonomy of theRead MoreThe Top Ten Most Twitter1474 Words   |  6 PagesMason, Hofman, Watts, 2011). Automated journalism is an important way technology will change reporting. Algorithms have been able to automatically produce news from structured data. Currently, algorithms can generate news for earthquake alerts, company earnings reports, and crime reporting. The Los Angeles Times used an algorithm to provide comprehensive coverage of homicides and not just focus on sensational cases. Another Los Angeles Time project, Mapping L.A., uses algorithms to automate newsRead MoreEssay On Investigative Journalism1366 Words   |  6 Pageseso es lo que define tu capacidad de grandeza Eduardo Galeano (interviewed by Faà ºndez, 2002: 11) The narratives and the evidence about the status of IJ in Latin America are contradictory. For some, there is an increasing practice of this genre of journalism (Alves, 2005; Castillo, 2016; Joyce, Saldaà ±a, Schmitz Weiss, Alves, 2017) while for others, there is a relative declining of it (Dermota, 2002). These perceptions heavily depends on the chosen type of medium (newspapers, television, digital),Read MoreSomali An Analysis Of Violent Events And U.s. Covert Operations1004 Words   |  5 Pagesevents, event type, and fatalities from such events, as well as data on U.S. drone strikes in Somalia. Events and fatalities were analyzed using data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) Project, and drone strikes were analyzed using data from The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. ACLED collects data for nine different types of events that are political in nature: a battle where the government takes back a territory from insurgents, a battle resulting in no change of territory, aRead MorePresident Obama Signs Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act1368 Words   |  6 Pagesto be in before. All of these acts and laws are gradual, however throughout time they increase to make a difference in someone s future. From the nineteenth century to the present women s rights has been a long journey, with the help of investigative journalism inequality between genders was exposed to help with fairness and help shape legislative change. Starting in the nineteenth century women’s rights was a very hushed subject, it wasn’t really talked about because everyone thought of womenRead MorePresident Obama Signs Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act1368 Words   |  6 Pagesto be in before. All of these acts and laws are gradual however throughout time they increase to make a difference in someone s future. From the nineteenth century to the present women s rights has been a long journey, with the help of investigative journalism inequality between genders was exposed to help with fairness and help shape legislative change. Starting in the nineteenth century women’s rights was a very hushed subject, it wasn’t really talked about because everyone thought of womenRead MoreMedia And Politics : A Brief Note On Media Politics2454 Words   |  10 Pagesand how they want to cover election news in a way that isn’t hindered by the input of politicians. This creates a more free and democratic media that isn’t mandated to give space to government officials for their political agendas. 3) Media and journalism has evolved immensely over the past decades and is characterized by its immediacy and convenience in availability. With the large volume of press outlets, along with the Internet and print media, there are several factors that filter and determine

A Biographical Review of the Glass Menagerie Free Essays

A Biographical Analysis of The Glass Menagerie and Tennessee Williams It’s apparent in the play and the life of Tennessee Williams that he was, in fact, writing about himself and his family when he wrote The Glass Menagerie. The Glass Menagerie was the first success of Tennessee Williams career. He says in the beginning of the play, †I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion† (Williams 47). We will write a custom essay sample on A Biographical Review of the Glass Menagerie or any similar topic only for you Order Now The characters Tom, Laura, and Amanda are very much like Williams, his sister Rose, and his mother Edwina. We are able to see this when we look into Tennessee Williams’ life. Tom, the narrator, can be viewed as himself, Thomas Lanier Williams. There are many similarities between his life and his character Tom’s life. These similarities can be found in his actions, the actions in the life of his family. First we look at Tennessee Williams life, and how it is very identical to the life of the character Tom. â€Å"He is the narrator, an undisguised invention of the play. He takes whatever license with dramatic convention as is convenient to his purposes. I am the narrator of the play, and also a character in it. The other characters are my mother, Amanda, my sister, Laura. † (Williams 47). Tom is the narrator, and the narrator is the one who tells the story, we can justify that Tom resembles Tennessee Williams. This means we can also relate Amanda to Williams mother Edwina Williams and Laura as his sister, Rose Williams. Tennessee Williams dropped out of high school when his father asked him to leave school to work in a warehouse. In the play, Tom also dropped out of school to work in a shoe factory. Tom says,† Listen! You think I’m crazy about the warehouse! You think I’m in love with the Continental Shoemakers? You think I want to spend fifty-five years down there in that Celotex interior! With fluorescent tubes! Look! I’d rather somebody picked up a crowbar and battered out my brains than go back mornings! † (Williams 56). Both Williams and Tom blamed their families for their horrible jobs and the lives they lived. Williams loved poetry and was his way of escaping the thought of his terrible job and depressing life. Tom is also a poet in our play. Jim knew of my secret practice of retiring to a cabinet of the washroom to work on poems when business was slack in the warehouse. He called me Shakespeare. † (Williams 68). Both Tom and Williams wanted to get out of their real lives by playwright and poetry. Like Tom, Tennessee Williams left home to live in New Orleans when he was 28. Moreover, Tom is a little bit younger than this in the play. Tom leaves home in the end because it is holding him back from what he wants to do. â€Å"His nature is not remorseless, but to escape from a trap he has to act without pity. † (Williams 46). The father in The Glass Menagerie worked for a phone company who fell in love with distance. †He gave up the job with the telephone company and skipped the light fantastic of this town. † (Williams 47). Tennessee Williams’ father was a traveling salesman. Just like in The Glass Menagerie, Williams’ father was also not home as often as his family would’ve liked. While he was growing up, Tennessee Williams and his family moved into an apartment in St. Louis. The front door of their house was opening up to look at an alley. In the play, Tom describes to the audience where his family lives. He says, â€Å"The apartment faces an alley and is entered by a fire-escape, a structure whose name is a bit of accidental truth, for all of these huge buildings are always burning with the slow and implacable fires of human desperation. â€Å"(Williams 46). Also, Tennessee Williams eventually spent some time at Washington University in St. Louis but ended up going to the University of Iowa instead. In The Glass Menagerie, Tom’s mother Amanda says to him, â€Å"a night-school course in accounting at Washington-U! Just think what a wonderful thing that would be for you son. † (Williams 62). We can see how Tennessee Williams didn’t want to remain in St. Louis University to attend school. Tennessee Williams and his sister were very close. him around like a ghost through his life and his art because she was not all there with him. However, he loved her very much, like Tom in The Glass Menagerie loves his sister Amanda. Tom says to his mother, â€Å"Laura seems all those things to you and me because she’s ours and we love her. We don t even notice she’s crippled anymore. † (Williams 66). It is also true that the Character Laura in The Glass Menagerie is very much like Williams’ sister Rose. She was diagnosed clinically insane in 1938 after he graduated from the University of Iowa. It’s obvious that Laura seems very strange sometimes. Tom say’s â€Å"Laura is very different from other girls. Through the eyes of strangers, she’s terribly shy, and lives in a world of her own and those things maker her seem a little peculiar to people outside the house. † (Williams 66). Rose spent almost all of her life in sanitariums. Edwina tried to find Rose a mate by sending her to Business College, but failed her first assignment and never continued. Amanda says to Laura, â€Å"No dear, you go in the front room and study your typewriter chart. Or practice your shorthand a little. Stay fresh and pretty! It’s almost time for our gentlemen callers to start arriving. (Williams 50). Amanda had also sent Laura to business school. In the play, Laura cracks under pressure and the scrutiny of her typewriting teacher and does not get a job to support her self. In Amanda and in Rose Williams’ life there was a gentleman caller in particular for Rose/Laura, who opened them up but never came back. â€Å"We are going to have one. What? A gentleman caller! Do you realize that he’s the first young man we’ve introduced to your sister? It’s terrible, dreadful, disgraceful that poor little sister has never received a single gentleman caller! † (Williams 64). Both in our play and also for the real Rose Williams, hopes were restrained on this young man whose characters referred to as Jim in The Glass Menagerie. Jim mistakes Laura’s absence of school for her sickness as Blue Roses and ends up referring to her as this through high school. This can also provide evidence that Laura is Rose Williams. In the start of The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams says this about Laura. A childhood illness has left her crippled exquisitely fragile. † (Williams 46). Rose was more mentally inept instead of having bad leg like Laura. However, they are both defected fragile young women who were abandoned by their fathers, gentlemen callers, and brothers in the end. Williams and his mother didn’t get along much an d says this of her, â€Å"A little woman of great but confused vitality clinging frantically to another time and place certainly she has endurance and a kind of heroism, and though her foolishness makes her unwittingly cruel at times, there is great tenderness in her slight person. (Williams 46). This identifies description of what Edwina Williams was like. She obviously had many bad experiences with Tennessee Williams’ father that made her sad and difficult for Williams. Furthermore even though they didn’t get along, Williams loved his mother very much. His mother raised Williams almost entirely herself. She was domineering of him and very sheltering. Proof can be found during the exchange at the dinner table Amanda says to Tom â€Å"So chew your food and give your salivary glands a chance to function! You re not excused from the table. You smoke too much. † (Williams 48). There are many instances where it is shown that, like in real life, the mother and son have a difficult time with each other. Tom is very impatient of his mother but later says, â€Å"now that we cannot hear the mothers speech, her silliness is gone and she has dignity and tragic beauty. † (Williams 88). This evidence proves that, in the end, Williams loved his mother very much In the end of the play Tom says †Oh Laura, Laura, I tried to leave you behind me, but I am more faithful than I intended to be! I reach for a cigarette, I cross the street, I run into the movies or a bar, I buy a drink, and I speak to the nearest stranger anything that can blow your candles out! For nowadays the world is lit by lightning! Blow out your candles, Laura and so good-bye. â€Å"(Williams 88). Tennessee Williams’ literary work was entirely in recognition and memoir to his sister, his family, and his life. Works Cited Rusinko, Susan. â€Å"Biography Of Tennessee Williams. † Critical Insights: Tennessee Williams. 8-13. n. p. : Salem Press, 2010. Literary Reference Center. Web. 6 Nov. 2012. Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. New York: New Directions, 1999. Print. How to cite A Biographical Review of the Glass Menagerie, Essay examples

Supply Chain Management at Nike Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Supply Chain Management at Nike. Answer: Introduction Supply chains can be relatively challenging to get manage, varying in the complexity, relying on the size and type of business and various products manufactured. Effective supply chain management is quite essential for organizations, as the network of the interlinked companies should be smoothly liaised (Christopher, 2004). The aim is to offer the products and services to the customers in the professional, and cost-effective manner. The critical element of the supply chain management includes planning, developing, product manufacturing as well as delivering the products and services (Christopher, 2004). This report will discuss Nike, which is the multinational company involved in the production of footwear and apparel. Key flows in supply chain Effectiveness of products flow Nike product flow includes the Nike design of their products. Later design provides factory, which is involved in the production of the press and sews, cut, package and sole. Nike also makes use of Hyper-fuse technology that consists of the heat and pressure involved while manufacturing footwear, and concern towards a reduction in cost and reduction of lead-time (Christopher, 2004). The factory also follows the Nike standard, along with local supply as well as China Importing supply. Product flow also involves manufacturing countries and importing countries, along with distribution centre. Next is a port, which includes unloading of material from the ship, checking of goods and loading back in the truck (Christopher, 2004). Next is a warehouse, which consists of the process of unloading of goods, checking of goods, inbound that involve scanning and labelling of goods, put away the products, and finally outbound. From the warehouse, goods are sent to whole sellers and at retail stores (Christopher, 2004). Information flow Nike information flow includes the self-research, new design of the products, factory settings that produce new design items. Suppliers are also connected with factory through material sustainability index system. Factory and port of the company are connected with distribution centre (Peter, 2010). The distribution centre is connected with ACFC that look after demand and trends. Port is connected with Geodis Wilson ISC Client 2000 for informing about the product arrival. Geodis Wilson is combined with stores for truck brooking and calculating the delivery timeline (Liu Jiang, 2011). Geodis Wilson ensures unloading of discrepancy report, store request, outbound, delivery timeline. Stores connect with ACFC for store request, and for selling reports. Customers also require to access ACFC, and they provide feedback to stores, where else stores offer them public announcements (Liu Jiang, 2011). Cash flow The aim of the foreign currency hedging activities of the company is mainly to protect an organization from the risk, which gradual cash flows outcomes through the transaction of the overseas currencies, covering the cost of the product, revenues, administrative and selling expenses, along with investment made in American dollar-denominated for the securities of sale debt as well as payment linked with the interconnected company transactions, that might get adversely impacted through exchange rate change (Liu Jiang, 2011). Its the Nike policy to make use of the derivatives for minimizing the overseas exchange risks, where strategies of internal netting cannot be employed in an efficient way (Liu Jiang, 2011). The organization assesses the options effectiveness based over the complete cash flows methods as well as total record changes in the fair value of the option with the various other comprehensive assets income towards the degree of its effectiveness (Liu Jiang, 2011). Return flow Nike has attained the average invested assets that comes to around 22.3%, which is referred as the average return on investment of the company (Liu Jiang, 2011). Recommendations for improving supply chain Advancement in the information technology, growing intensified competition in the present international markets, the introduction of the new items for the short life cycles, as well as increasing the customer expectations has profoundly contributed towards the new approach development of the supply chain management (Najdawi, Chung Salaheldin, 2008). Previously, raw materials were used to get procured, and the products were manufactured at single or more than one factories, then those products were shipped to warehouses to have an immediate shortage, and finally, it was shipped to customers or retailers (Najdawi, Chung Salaheldin, 2008). Therefore, it is recommended to minimize the cost and enhanced the service levels, and for that effective supply chain strategies should be considered at different supply chain levels of the company. It is recommended that Nike should follow system dynamics that mainly link with the problem solving within the living systems that bring people, businesses,, and machine together (Najdawi, Chung Salaheldin, 2008). It also connect the control and system theory to generate the insight in the behaviour of system dynamics and especially the casual relationships about international system performance and internal control (Najdawi, Chung Salaheldin, 2008). The Make process The critical purpose of the product control and plans, along with the various other manufacturing controls is to optimize the companys profit. Similar to the inventory control and management, this can be attained through making customers satisfied through promptly offering the products (Schrunder, Galletly Bicheno, 1994). The critical objectives related with the production planning and control is to establish the schedules and routes of the work that offer guarantee about the optimum use of materials, machines, and workers and to provide them with ways for making sure about the plant operations as per the plans. Conducting outsourcing for the different countries such as Japan, China, Indonesia, and Thailand is the Nikes planning as well as control strategy plan (Schrunder, Galletly Bicheno, 1994). Therefore, a right production planning and control supports the company in controlling the cost of production and the same also reduces the profits. The different tasks included in the scheduling, sequencing as well as loading of the supply chain management system of the Nike minimizes the engineering time of production cycle, and the same enhances the market share (Schrunder, Galletly Bicheno, 1994). The system of supply chain management, along with the right forecasting facilities, support the firm in shifting the focus towards the make to stock policy. It is analysed that inventories are appropriately managed with the help of proper control and planning all around the system that enables to have fast turnover entirely around the production chain, the carrying cost of inventory along with complete price of product is importantly reduced, and the same increases the entire profit (Schrunder, Galletly Bicheno, 1994). The scheduling approach of Nike is concerned with the corporate operations as well as supply chain coordination with both the retail and distribution operations. In the decision strategies are related to operations management, the purpose is to increase the use of resources (Verdaasdonk, 1999). Managers at Nike satisfy the aim through automation. The schedules of corporate office are also referred as standardized, where else schedules of supply chains are adjusted as per the market condition. Nike also applies the changes within the supply chain, relying on the demand of the market for the equipment, athletic footwear and apparel (Verdaasdonk Wouters, 2001). Nike also makes use of information systems, which supports in creating plans for production resources like material resource planning efficiently. The software makes use of managing the orders, supply and production, and the same leads towards the minimization of inventory all-around the supply chain and enhances the efficiency of production (Verdaasdonk Wouters, 2001). It is crucial in these cases to refer the information related to events happening within the supply chain. Like knowledge enables the manufacturers and suppliers as well as sellers to coordinate their actions to fulfil the foreseeable demand and that too at the low expected rate (Verdaasdonk Wouters, 2001). Managing the interconnected business network includes the packaging supply of both products and services through the raw material to the consumers as per the end user requirement. The management and planning of every activity cover up sourcing, production, and purchasing and logistics management (Hoyt, 2000). It also covers up collaboration and coordination with the partners with the help of channel that includes dealers, suppliers, and customers. The supply chain involves two crucial functions such as physical functions is visible as well as evident, in this materials are converted in the details and the same is later on transformed into the finished items (Lee Amaral, 2002). The primary purpose of the production control and plans, along with manufacturing controls is to optimize the companys profit. Similar to the inventory control and management, it can be attained through keeping the customers more satisfied through delivering the item.it is recommended that production planning and control should be established through schedules and routes of the work that provides grantee for optimum material use, workers and offer them with the assurance of operations of plant as per the plan (Reddy Reddy, 2001). Making process at Nike The supply chain forecasting Forecasting demand, as well as coordinating activities, are required for fulfilling the requirement of jobs. Organizations working within the international operations usually make use of sophisticated systems and software for forecasting demand, but it is analysed that small businesses can easily forecast the requirement of the supply chain by applying different techniques. The method involved in moving the averages as well as exponential smoothing often seek to move out the demand for permitting the seasonality in the outcome (Simchi-Levi, Kaminsky Simchi-Levi, 2003). Through the support of moving averages, one can quickly try to drop the previous sales figure as well as add the new figure, by making out the standard. For instance, for measuring the sales in four weeks, it is essential to add the weeks, then drop the sales and then finally divide the same by four. It is analysed that exponential smoothing is quite same as average, except the old information attaining the progressive less weight and attain new information for more weight (Simchi-Levi, Kaminsky Simchi-Levi, 2003). In the definitive trend, it is noted that the exponential smoothing and moving averages forecast can go behind the ongoing trend. A decision tree involved in the forecast methods is formed to depict the forecast method selection, and it profoundly assumed to propose to choose the best method of forecasting, as per the various information pattern. Decision tree forecast method supports in pre-selecting the alternative methods to forecast the future demand (Al-Mashari Zairi, 2000). At last, for choosing the right and adequate optional proposed through the decision tree, the retrospective analysis of information through the pre-selected method should be undertaken. It importantly determines the error measures for everyone, and the best one from it that fit with the information holds the low forecast error. It is essential that Nike should make use of RMSE, MSE as well as MAPE for undertaking the error analysis (Al-Mashari Zairi, 2000). Along with this, if the resources, as well as time, is available, it is highly recommended to same use of combined forecast holding various models as per the information pattern, and then analysing the right method for attaining the low error (Forrester, 1961). In this way, companies can go with the method evaluation by measuring the respective error, and then monitor the forecast by applying tracking signal (Forrester, 1958). It is analysed that the revenue of Nike has turned out to around $49.4 million that is low as compared to 2001 forecast. It is also noted that overestimating the demand of shoes as well as underestimating the demand of shoes has pushed Nike towards the reducing customer's satisfaction, market share as well as damage to the reputation of the company in the market (Soni, 2014). As per the perspective of the supply chain, it is recommended that the software should be applied that can deliver the right forecasting, a right picture of the organization complete supply chain system and efficient inventory management tools for minimizing the surplus inventory, enhancing the satisfaction of customers and reducing overproduction cost (Ferguson, 2017). Conclusion Supply chain is the integral part of the company, therefore, its important to ensure about its process and try to effectively undertake every step of it. References Al-Mashari, M, Zairi, M. (2000). Supply-Chain Re-engineering Using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems: An Analsys of a SAP R/3 Implementation Case. International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics, 30(3-4), 296-313. Christopher, K. (2004). Nike Rebounds: How (and Why) Nike Recovered from Its Supply Chain Disaster.CIO Magazine Ferguson, E. (2017). Nike Inc. Operations Management: 10 Decisions, Productivity. Retrieved on 17th November 2017, from https://panmore.com/nike-inc-operations-management-10-decisions-areas-productivity Forrester, J. W. (1958). Industrial Dynamics: A Major Breakthrough for Decision Makers. Harvard Business Review, 36(4), 37-66. Forrester, J. W. (1961). Industrial Dynamics. Cambridge: MIT Press Hoyt, D. (2000). Lucent Technologies: Global Supply Chain Management. Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. Lee, H. Amaral, J. (2002). Continuous and Sustainable Improvement Through Supply Chain Performance Management. Stanford Global Supply Chain Management Forum SGSCMF-W1, October. Liu, S., Jiang, M. (2011). Providing Efficient Decision Support for Green Operations Management: An Integrated Perspective. INTECH. Najdawi, M. K., Chung, Q. B., Salaheldin, S. I. (2008). Expert systems for strategic planning in operations management: a framework for executive decisions. International Journal of Management and Decision Making, 9(3), 310-327. Peter, S. (2010). The Worlds Top Sports Brands. Forbes. Reddy, R, Reddy, S. (2001). Supply Chains to virtual Integration. McGraw-Hill. Schrunder, C. P., Galletly, J. E., Bicheno, J. R. (1994). A fuzzy, knowledge?based decision support tool for production operations management. Expert Systems, 11(1), 3-11. Simchi-Levi, D., Kaminsky, P., Simchi-Levi, E. (2003). Designing and Managing the Supply Chain, second edition. McGraw-Hill. Soni, P. (2014). An Overview of NIKEs Supply Chain and Manufacturing Strategies. Retrieved on 17th November 2017, from https://marketrealist.com/2014/12/overview-nikes-supply-chain-manufacturing-strategies/ Verdaasdonk, P. (1999). Defining an information structure to analyse resource spending changes of operations management decisions. Production Planning Control, 10(2), 162-174. Verdaasdonk, P., Wouters, M. (2001). A generic accounting model to support operations management decisions. Production Planning Control, 12(6), 605-620.

Young Goodman Brown, By Nathaniel Hawthorne, Is A Story That Is Thick Essay Example For Students

Young Goodman Brown, By Nathaniel Hawthorne, Is A Story That Is Thick Essay Young Goodman Brown, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a story that is thick with allegory. Young Goodman Brown is a moral story which is told through the perversion of a religious leader. In Young Goodman Brown, Goodman Brown is a Puritan minister who lets his excessive pride in himself interfere with his relations with the community after he meets with the devil, and causes him to live the life of an exile in his own community. Young Goodman Brown begins when Faith, Browns wife, asks him not to go on an errand. Goodman Brown says to his love and (my) Faith that this one night I must tarry away from thee. When he says his love and his Faith, he is talking to his wife, but he is also talking to his faith to God. He is venturing into the woods to meet with the Devil, and by doing so, he leaves his unquestionable faith in God with his wife. We will write a custom essay on Young Goodman Brown, By Nathaniel Hawthorne, Is A Story That Is Thick specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now He resolves that he will cling to her skirts and follow her to Heaven. This is an example of the excessive pride because he feels that he can sin and meet with the Devil because of this promise that he made to himself. There is a tremendous irony to this promise because when Goodman Brown comes back at dawn; he can no longer look at his wife with the same faith he had before. When Goodman Brown finally meets with the Devil, he declares that the reason he was late was because Faith kept me back awhile. This statement has a double meaning because his wife physically prevented him from being on time for his meeting with the devil, but his faith to God psychologically delayed his meeting with the devil. The Devil had with him a staff that bore the likeness of a great black snake. The staff which looked like a snake is a reference to the snake in the story of Adam and Eve. The snake led Adam and Eve to their destruction by leading them to the Tree of Knowledge. The Adam and Eve story is similar to Goodman Brown in that they are both seeking unfathomable amounts of knowledge. Once Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge they were expelled from their paradise. The Devils staff eventually leads Goodman Brown to the Devils ceremony which destroys Goodman Browns faith in his fellow man, therefore expelling him from his utopia. Goodman Brown almost immediately declares that he kept his meeting with the Devil and no longer wishes to continue on his errand with the Devil. He says that he comes from a race of honest men and good Christians and that his father had never gone on this errand and nor will he. The Devil is quick to point out however that he was with his father and grandfather when they were flogging a woman or burning an Indian village, respectively. These acts are ironic in that they were bad deeds done in the name of good, and it shows that he does not come from good Christians.When Goodman Browns first excuse not to carry on with the errand proves to be unconvincing, he says he cant go because of his wife, Faith. And because of her, he can not carry out the errand any further. At this point the Devil agrees with him and tells him to turn back to prevent that Faith should come to any harm like the old woman in front of them on the path. Ironically, Goodman Browns faith is harmed because the woman on the path is the woman who taught him his catechism in youth, and was still his moral and spiritual adviser. The Devil and the woman talk and afterward, Brown continues to walk on with the Devil in the disbelief of what he had just witnessed. Ironically, he blames the woman for consorting with the Devil but his own pride stops him from realizing that his faults are the same as the womans. Brown again decides that he will no longer to continue on his errand and rationalizes that just because his teacher was not going to heaven, why should he quit my dear Faith, and go after her. At this, the Devil tosses Goodman Brown his staff (which will lead him out of his Eden) and leaves him.Goodman Brown begins to think to himself about his situation and his pride in himself begins to build. He applauds himself greatly, and thinking with how clear a conscience he should meet his ministerAnd what calm sleep would be his. ..in the arms of Faith! This is ironic because at the end of the story, he can not even look Faith in the eye, let alone sleep in her arms. As Goodman Brown is feeling good about his strength in resisting the Devil, he hears the voices of the minister and Deacon Gookin. .u91826df712b27ff28c1433023c8d9aad , .u91826df712b27ff28c1433023c8d9aad .postImageUrl , .u91826df712b27ff28c1433023c8d9aad .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u91826df712b27ff28c1433023c8d9aad , .u91826df712b27ff28c1433023c8d9aad:hover , .u91826df712b27ff28c1433023c8d9aad:visited , .u91826df712b27ff28c1433023c8d9aad:active { border:0!important; } .u91826df712b27ff28c1433023c8d9aad .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u91826df712b27ff28c1433023c8d9aad { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u91826df712b27ff28c1433023c8d9aad:active , .u91826df712b27ff28c1433023c8d9aad:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u91826df712b27ff28c1433023c8d9aad .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u91826df712b27ff28c1433023c8d9aad .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u91826df712b27ff28c1433023c8d9aad .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u91826df712b27ff28c1433023c8d9aad .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u91826df712b27ff28c1433023c8d9aad:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u91826df712b27ff28c1433023c8d9aad .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u91826df712b27ff28c1433023c8d9aad .u91826df712b27ff28c1433023c8d9aad-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u91826df712b27ff28c1433023c8d9aad:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Martin Luther King And Mass Media Essay He overhears their conversation and hears them discuss a goodly young woman to be taken in to communion that evening at that nights meeting and fears that it may be his Faith. When Goodman Brown hears this he becomes weak and falls to the ground. He begins to doubt whether there really was a Heaven above him and this is a key point when Goodman Browns faith begins to wain. Goodman Brown in panic declares that With Heaven above, and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil! Again, Brown makes a promise to keep his faith unto God. Then a black mass of cloud goes in between Brown and the sky as if to block his prayer from heaven. Brown then hears what he believed to be voices that he has before in the community. Once Goodman Brown begins to doubt whether this is really what he had heard or not, the sound comes to him again and this time it is followed by one voice, of a young woman. Goodman believes this is Faith and he yells out her name only to be mimicked by the echoes of the forest, as if his calls to Faith were falling on deaf ears. A pink ribbon flies through the air and Goodman grabs it. At this moment, he has lost all faith in the world and declares that there is no good on earth. Young Goodman Brown in this scene is easily manipulated simply by the power of suggestion. The suggestion that the woman in question is his Faith, and because of this, he easily loses his faith. Goodman Brown then loses all of his inhibitions and begins to laugh insanely. He takes hold of the staff which causes him to seem to fly along the forest-path. This image alludes to that of Adam and Eve being led out of the Garden of Eden as is Goodman Brown being led out of his utopia by the Devils snakelike staff. Hawthorne at this point remarks about the instinct that guides mortal man to evil. This is a direct statement from the author that he believes that mans natural inclination is to lean to evil than good. Goodman Brown had at this point lost his faith in God, therefore there was nothing restraining his instincts from moving towards evil because he had been lead out from his utopian image of society. At this point, Goodman Brown goes mad and challenges evil. He feels that he will be the downfall of evil and that he is strong enough to overcome it all. This is another demonstration of Browns excessive pride and arrogance. He believes that he is better than everyone else in that he alone can destroy evil. Brown then comes upon the ceremony which is setup like a perverted Puritan temple. The altar was a rock in the middle of the congregation and there were four trees surrounding the congregation with their tops ablaze, like candles. A red light rose and fell over the congregation which cast a veil of evil over the congregation over the devil worshippers.Brown starts to take notice of the faces that he sees in the service and he recognizes them all, but he then realizes that he does not see Faith and hope came into his heart. This is the first time that the word hope ever comes into the story and it is because this is the true turning point for Goodman Brown. If Faith was not there, as he had hoped, he would not have to live alone in his community of heathens, which he does not realize that he is already apart of. Another way that the hope could be looked at is that it is all one of the Christian triptych. (Capps 25) The third part of the triptych which is never mentioned throughout the story is charity. If Brown had had charity it would have been the antidote that would have allowed him to survive without despair the informed state in which he returned to Salem. (Camps 25) The ceremony then begins with a a cry to Bring forth the converts! Surprisingly Goodman Brown steps forward. He had no power to retreat one step, nor to resist, even in thought. Goodman Brown at this point seems to be in a trance and he loses control of his body as he is unconsciously entering this service of converts to the devil. The leader of the service than addresses the crowd of converts in a disturbing manner. He informs them that all the members of the congregation are the righteous, honest, and incorruptible of the community. The sermon leader then informs the crowd of their leaders evil deeds such as attempted murder of the spouse and wife, adultery, and obvious blasphemy. .u490d083c94f79bfa7a5fd611d3124dac , .u490d083c94f79bfa7a5fd611d3124dac .postImageUrl , .u490d083c94f79bfa7a5fd611d3124dac .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u490d083c94f79bfa7a5fd611d3124dac , .u490d083c94f79bfa7a5fd611d3124dac:hover , .u490d083c94f79bfa7a5fd611d3124dac:visited , .u490d083c94f79bfa7a5fd611d3124dac:active { border:0!important; } .u490d083c94f79bfa7a5fd611d3124dac .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u490d083c94f79bfa7a5fd611d3124dac { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u490d083c94f79bfa7a5fd611d3124dac:active , .u490d083c94f79bfa7a5fd611d3124dac:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u490d083c94f79bfa7a5fd611d3124dac .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u490d083c94f79bfa7a5fd611d3124dac .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u490d083c94f79bfa7a5fd611d3124dac .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u490d083c94f79bfa7a5fd611d3124dac .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u490d083c94f79bfa7a5fd611d3124dac:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u490d083c94f79bfa7a5fd611d3124dac .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u490d083c94f79bfa7a5fd611d3124dac .u490d083c94f79bfa7a5fd611d3124dac-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u490d083c94f79bfa7a5fd611d3124dac:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: French Revolution Essay After his sermon, the leader informs them to look upon each other and Goodman Brown finds himself face to face with Faith. The leader begins up again declaring that Evil is the nature of mankind and he welcomes the converts to communion of your race. (The communion of your race statement reflects to the irony of Browns earlier statement that he comes from a race of honest men and good Christians.) The leader than dips his hand in the rock to draw a liquid from it and to lay the mark of baptism upon their foreheads. Brown than snaps out from his trance and yells Faith! Faith! Look up to Heaven and resist the wicked one! At this, the ceremony ends and Brown finds himself alone. He does not know whether Faith, his wife, had kept her faith, but he finds himself alone which leads him to believe that he is also alone in his faith. Throughout the story, Brown lacks emotion as a normal person would have had. The closest Brown comes to showing an emotion is when a hanging twig, that had been all on fire, besprinkled his cheek with the coldest dew. The dew on his cheek represents a tear that Brown is unable to produce because of his lack of emotion. Hawthorne shows that Brown has no compassion for the weaknesses he sees in others, no remorse for his own sin, and no sorrow for his loss of faith. (Easterly 339) His lack of remorse and compassion condemns him to an anguished life that is spiritually and emotionally dissociated. (Easterly 341) This scene is an example of how Goodman Brown chose to follow his head rather than his heart. Had Brown followed his heart, he may have still lived a good life. If he followed with his heart, he would have been able to sympathize with the communitys weaknesses, but instead, he listened to his head and excommunicated himself from the community because he only thought of them as heathens. Young Goodman Brown ends with Brown returning to Salem at early dawn and looking around like a bewildered man. He cannot believe that he is in the same place that he just the night before; because to him, Salem was no longer home. He felt like an outsider in a world of Devil worshippers and because his basic means of order, his religious system, is absent, the society he was familiar with becomes nightmarish. (Shear 545) He comes back to the town projecting his guilt onto those around him. (Tritt 114) Brown expresses his discomfort with his new surroundings and his excessive pride when he takes a child away from a blessing given by Goody Cloyse, his former Catechism teacher, as if he were taking the child from the grasp of the fiend himself. His anger towards the community is exemplified when he sees Faith who is overwhelmed with excitement to see him and he looks sternly and sadly into her face, and passed on without a greeting. Brown cannot even stand to look at his wife with whom he was at the convert service with. He feels that even though he was at the Devils service, he is still better than everyone else because of his excessive pride. Brown feels he can push his own faults on to others and look down at them rather than look at himself and resolve his own faults with himself. Goodman Brown was devastated by the discovery that the potential for evil resides in everybody. The rest of his life is destroyed because of his inability to face this truth and live with it. The story, which may have been a dream, and not a real life event, planted the seed of doubt in Browns mind which consequently cut him off from his fellow man and leaves him alone and depressed. His life ends alone and miserable because he was never able to look at himself and realize that what he believed were everyone elses faults were his as well. His excessive pride in himself led to his isolation from the community. Brown was buried with no hopeful verse upon his tombstone; for his dying hour was gloom. Works Cited Capps, Jack L. Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown, Explicator, Washington D.C. , 1982 Spring, 40:3, 25.Easterly, Joan Elizabeth. Lachrymal Imagery in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown, Studies in Short Fiction, Newberry, S.C. , 1991 Summer, 28:3, 339-43. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Young Goodmam Brown, The Story and Its Writer, 4th ed. Ed. Ann Charters. Boston: Bedford Books of St. Martins Press, 1995, 595-604. Shear, Walter. Cultural Fate and Social Freedom in Three American Short Stories, Studies in Short Fiction, Newberry, S.C., 1992 Fall, 29:4, 543-549. Tritt, Michael. Young Goodman Brown and the Psychology of Projection, Studies in Short Fiction, Newberry, S.C., 1986 Winter, 23:1, 113-117.

Lady Gaga Analysis Essay Sample

Lady Gaga Analysis Essay Sample Lady Gaga Analysis Essay Sample Lady Gaga Analysis Essay Sample Lady Gaga (real name Stefani Joan Angelina Germanotta) is a famous American singer and songwriter. Her native city is New York, where she was born on March 28, 1986. Lady Gaga is sheer contradiction, unimaginable asexual creature and chief freak of the modern world, who overshadowed everyone. Her rareness, originality, extravagance in behavior, music and fashion are effects of internal restlessness in mind and soul. Her passion for music is evident from the first years of life: at the age of four she has already played the piano, repeating the tune and singing along while hearing tape recordings of Madonna and Michael Jackson. Future artist inherited this passion from her father, who was a musician and played in several small coastal ensembles, and modern compositions were always heard in the house. As a teenager, she wrote her first song. When Joan was fourteen years old, she has already played in the New York group â€Å"Bitter End†. In addition to singing songs, future famo us popstar actively took part in the theatrical life. This interest influenced on her music videos such as â€Å"Paparazzi†, â€Å"Just Dance†, â€Å"Born This Way†, â€Å"Telephone† and others. Her songs are full of challenges, rebelliousness; her videos are struggles with accepted standards of the society; her fashion is a demonstration of the contradictory inner world. According to Goodman (2010), â€Å"Lady Gaga could be interpreted as a freak, something unusual and unacceptable; however she is a talented woman, who gained attention and recognition of the whole world† (p. 199). Lady Gaga’s songs reflect an endless stream of critical urban experiences, forbidden and dangerous: drinking, dancing and numerous parties. Videos of this charming and radiant platinum blonde: only visual range gives the challenge to the world. Singing about paparazzi, drinking, money and clothes, she creates a world of individual glamour that dominates young people. Lady Gaga’s debut album â€Å"The Fame† made four songs popular at once. The songs â€Å"Just Dance† and â€Å"Paparazzi† occupied the first positions in various charts. â€Å"Paparazzi† was written in order to reflect her desire for fame. It is a mid tempo, dance song, the lyrics of which show the situation when someone is compulsively pursued to get attention and fame. The song has been positively evaluated by critics for its good humor, club atmosphere, and was named the most memorable and meaningful song of the album. Music video of the song shows Gaga as a fatal starlet purs ued by photographers and in the process nearly killed by her boyfriend. In her interview to Rolling Stone Lady Gaga states: â€Å"When I originally wrote this record, I was inspired by mug shots of some very famous Bond girls. And I decided that there’s really an art to fame. So this video is about three things: death, fashion, and fame whoring† (Kreps, 2009, p. 34). The video shows how she survived, returned to her boyfriend and took revenge in the process of experimenting with a way of returning her fame. The singer is dressed in various costumes, one of which is the image of Minnie Mouse and gorgeous glasses. The singer is dressed in a yellow jumpsuit printed with the little faces of famous cartoon mouse. Designer of this outfit is Marvin y Quetzal. The jumpsuit with the glasses by Jeremy Scott makes her style harmonious and complete. Lady Gaga’s make-up complements the puppet effect that makes the video worth watching. Lady Gaga says that fashion means everything to her. Her trendy urban style runs through all her musical creativity: singer fashion could not exist separately from her music and videos and conversely. Gaga admitted to reporters, â€Å"I designed these sequined pants with artificial light blue diamonds†¦ I made this leather bra specifically for video â€Å"Love Game† (Goodman, 2010, p. 98). Her clothing and accessories in the music video â€Å"Telephone† are different from the previous works, but as usual they are creative and cunning. The singer wears striped dress with enormous shoulders by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, which perfectly combines with Mercura’s sunglasses. In the other episode, she appears in the tailor-made â€Å"tapes for the scene of the crime† by Brian Lichtenberg. The following episodes of the music video are accompanied by different looks: suits and costumes by Haus of Gaga, vintage hat and suit by Thierry Mugler, dress by Rachel Barrett. The variety of Gaga’s looks demonstrates her desire for changes and her own creativity not only in music, but also in fashion. A lot of costumes, which could be seen on the screen, are creations and designs by her studio Haus of Gaga. â€Å"Telephone† is the third song of the debut album, recorded with participation of the American R B singer Beyonce. The main theme of the song was Gaga’s fear that she will not have a break and some time for fun. Nevertheless, lyrics demonstrate that the singer just does not want to answer the calls from her lover, being in the club. Musically, the song is written in a fast pace, with explosive choruses and double bits. The music video for the song was a continuation of the previous singer’s video â€Å"Paparazzi†, and was filmed in the style of a mini-movie. The elements from the style of Quentin Tarantino’s movies as â€Å"Kill Bill† and â€Å"Pulp Fiction† were used in this music video. Lady Gaga wears masks on concerts, videos and in presenting awards; she puts on planetary rings around the head, and designs the face in a manner that reminds bird nests. Her desire to hide the face or to demonstrate all the beauty of her body by opened dresses, suits, or even wearing bacon dress could be considered contemporaneously as extraordinariness and fear to be usual. The artist is ready to transform everything in her wardrobe (shoes, hats, sunglasses, gloves, tights and stockings) into shocking elements of Gaga’s trendy and futuristic outfit. The song â€Å"Just Dance† is released as the first single from her debut studio album â€Å"The Fame†. According to Gaga, the song is an example of a happy record and it will be appreciated by people who are going through various life difficulties, such as loss of job, home, and other aspects. When she was asked about reasons for popularity of the song, she said: â€Å"Every person is looking for a song that really meets the joys that are stored in our souls and hearts and so they can have a good time. This song is just about it. It is felt when you are listening to a song, it makes you feel good. Nothing more† (Kreps, 2002, p. 33). The song has rhythmic dance character, where straight marching beats, electronic and R B elements are combined. The video begins with the fact that Gaga comes along with dancers Yoori and red-haired girl at the home party that ended. The crowd wakes up and starts dancing. Gaga’s make-up is unusual: she has blue sticker in the form of lightning under the eye. This symbol reveals her rebellious spirit and desire to have some fun. Lester states, â€Å"The singer on this music video trying to be individual and different: her blonde hair, sharp fringe suit, wealth and property, showed in the video make a statement of her unique† (p. 112). Lady Gaga’s outfit and hairstyle declare her extravagant futuristic style, and show characteristic eccentricity and openness. Despite of outrage, Lady Gaga follows fashion trends. She even has her favorite designers, whose clothes she is ready to wear all the time. Those are the fashion house Chanel and Versace (the mistress of Italian fashion house is Gaga’s idol). Recently popstar decided independently realize her own fashion line and opened her own studio, called The Haus of Gaga. Along with her team she creates unusual outfits and hairstyles, which gain huge popularity among people, especially her fans. Lady Gaga opened her shop, which is located in New York, Madison Avenue. Lady Gaga and Nicola Formichetti presented their new project – shop called â€Å"Gaga Workshop†. It could not be said that the fashion market is concentrated only on clothes or accessories; there are a lot of things ranging from books and underwear and ending by different sweets and souvenirs. â€Å"Gaga Workshop† makes an incredible effect on everybody, who is coming across: teenagers, adults, Gagaâ€⠄¢s funs and ordinary people. There is a chocolate shoe, famous from the video for song â€Å"Bad Romance†, for ten dollars. All goods match the style of Lady Gaga and are available for everyone. However, there are also limited propositions: one can buy a huge candle-sculpture Gaga bust candle for $ 395 or sweets in boxes made in the form of the singer costumes for $ 85. Thus, â€Å"Gaga Workshop† has various products for each person who wants to help (a quarter of the proceeds of sales is planned to be transferred to Born This Way Foundation). As well as Lady Gaga, her music, fashion and other aspects are also considered by well known critics, writers and journalists. According to Paul Lester: â€Å"She probably achieved, in three to six months, what Madonna took five years to achieve: total media saturation You can plainly spot the influence in Lady Gaga, thats one of the fun things about her, I think. She is sort of the culmination of forty years of pop history† (Weight, 2012). Paul Lester is a music journalist and writer, whose creation is a book â€Å"Lady Gaga: looking for fame. The life of a pop princess†. This work is representing the biography of the woman, who became a popstar and fashion idol for many people all over the world. Paul Lester states: â€Å"The music was catchy and commercial, but I thought the public would think it was slightly too â€Å"arty†, in a way. She reminded me of early Grace Jones and I thought it wouldn’t catch on in a big way. But of course I was completely wrong. Within three months she was massive. She was everywhere† (Weight, 2012). Thus, the famous journalist in an unusual manner shows his attitude and beliefs about American popstar. Lady Gaga lovingly refers to the fans, affectionately calling them â€Å"monsters†. She appreciates their love and treatment that is seen from her own words in the note, which was written by the outrageous singer after an operation on her hip in gratitude for support of the fans. According to Lady Gaga: â€Å"Monsters, You really gave me a lot of strength today. Everything happened so fast, but when it came time to face it I reflected on the many stories and experiences you’ve shared with me about your lives. If you can do it, I can do it too, and if we stick together we can get through anything† (Lady Gaga, 2013). Fans’ websites, devoted to Lady Gaga, include her music, fashion and true lovers who are inspired by her creation and culture. They share their stories, photos, thoughts about American singer, who became an idol for them. Such websites are created by people, who are interested and obsessed by Lady Gaga’s life and music. According to many music critics, lovers and fans, Lady Gaga will have even greater success than she has now. She has become a favorite female artist of many people and now she is the most discussed person in the world of show business.

What retirees can expect from their Costco job application

What retirees can expect from their Costco job application By: Scott Lawson Getting a part-time or a seasonal job when retired is becoming a more and more popular choice. Boomers and recent retirees alike often choose to supplement their retirement income through a job. A retail chain like Costco is a great place to start a job search. According to Time.com, Costco was praised by current employees for offering livable wages and benefits available to all employees.Here’s a brief guide for securing a job with Costco including steps and explanations from this Costco job application guide. After we walk you through the main careers to be pursued with Costco, you should be able to complete your job application easily. Let’s go!Costco careers at a glanceCostco is a complex operations chain of warehouses offering furniture, clothing, food, pharmacy goods and much more. Their careers are just as multi-faceted. What we mean by that is, depending on your background and skills, you may find very different pathways laid out before you.Here are the main types of jobs that Costco recruiters are always looking to fill:Warehouse and customer support jobs (Examples: warehouse and depot jobs, call center support positions, web trade positions, packaging positions, meat and merchandise processing jobs, counter jobs, business delivery jobs.)IT jobs (Examples: programmers, junior programmers, web developers and graphic interface designers.)Regional and home office jobs (Examples: human resources specialist, buying, and accounting positions, as well as legal counsel.)Licensed professions positions (Examples: opticians, pharmacy technicians, pharmacists, hearing aid specialists, optometrists, etc.)Popular jobs among SeniorsDepending on your background and the skills you acquired before retirement (or since you retired if you took advantage of the extra time), you may qualify for a position within the IT department or licensed professions. Some of these jobs are available on a part-time basis, but most of them do require a full- time commitment.Most seniors, however, seem to find employment within the warehouse and customer support jobs. This is due to both their background and experience (since there are more people trained for these positions), and the greater flexibility offered.Examples of warehouse, depot and customer support positions are these: cashier, clerk, cashier assistant, food court worker, stocker, and store manager.If you prefer a 4 or 6 hour a day schedule and think you have what it takes, go ahead and apply for a warehouse, depot or customer support job. This type of position involves working with people on a day to day basis and keeping those customer service skills polished.Now the fun part! Here’s the application process.Steps to complete your Costco job applicationGo to the Costo careers portal and click the Apply Now button to be redirected to the jobs page.At the top of the page, click on the Apply to a Specific Position tab. There you can start searching for positions. If you prefer to explore whatever vacancies you can find in your proximity, then you should stay on the second tab.If you’re searching for jobs nearby on the second tab, you can introduce your zip code and the website will return all available positions within a reasonable radius from that location.If you want to find a job within a specific department, you can also click on the following tags to filter only the available positions pertaining to them. Filter  jobs according to Contact Center, Costco Travel, Depots, Warehouse Store and more.If you see results for multiple positions with the same name but different locations, simply click on the name of the store you would like to work. Once you find the position and location, you’re ready to start! Click the red button that says Begin Application.Register for an account on the Costco careers portal, or sign in if you already have created an applicant account in the past. If you forgot your password, you can easily reset it by clicking Forgot My Password.Next, you will be asked to fill in your contact information. Fill in all the required fields, using your primary email address and a cell phone number. Make sure they are able to reach you easily if you get selected.Then, upload your resume to their portal. You should have a CV prepared beforehand somewhere on your computer, and upload it when prompted.You may be asked some questions next, about your previous experience, expected start date and so on. If you get asked hypothetical behavior questions, like ‘How would you react if confronted by an angry customer?’ Focus on describing a calm and sympathetic response. Most questions will focus on facts regarding your background and last job you held. This portion shouldn’t take longer than a few minutes.Review your application details and submit it when you’re sure everything is correct. You’re done!Next, you should simply wait for a phone call from a Costco HR representa tive. If they select you for an interview, you should hear from then within a couple of weeks. Costco is an equal opportunity employer, and there are plenty of seniors who managed to find employment opportunities in their team. Keep a positive outlook and good luck with your application! About the author: Scott Lawson is an HR manager devoted to his career. During his 5-year work span, Scott developed a taste for writing and helping others. This materialized into a website, JobApplicationWorld, that aims to help others tackle the hiring process.

Writing 102 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Writing 102 - Essay Example This is a very effective story in which a shed is used to convey man’s feelings of dissatisfaction and unclear sense of direction. It also explains that how dreams can be achieved if a person is totally motivated. â€Å"Number XII is a wooden shed who becomes conscious before he is even built, when he is just a pile of planks. Early in his assembled life he stores bicycles, and the bicycles radiate their essence into him. Through this unexplained but strangely buyable phenomenon, Number XII learns about and comes to desire the adventures, mobility and freedom of bicycles. Alas, sheds seem to be confined to a hierarchy only comprising different versions of them, like a garage. This is too bad. Number XII really wants to be a bicycle.† (Fearless Stories) The story Cane Brake brings forward in its true sense a variety of themes. It discusses the problems caused in families due to marriage. It helps explain that the people are usually not satisfied with their lives. Also it highlights the problems which women face in the African family systems. To begin with Kacem is a drunkard. He is not particularly satisfied with the life he is leading and instead has resorted to keeping distance with his wife and drinking. He is seen to not only ignoring his wife but also forcing set of rules and regulations over her and binding her into the primitive shackles of family where a woman could not go out. His role is extremely significant in the flow of the novel. The change in Kacem in the end highlights the power of women to bring about change. It also helps to elaborate the fact that drinking and such socially unacceptable habits can affect your behaviour and can also be a source of discomfort for your family. The other major character in this story is Kacem’s wife. She symbolizes a typical woman in the African and Asian countries where they cannot mostly go out of their homes and are bound by their husband’s orders. These restrictions and the drunken

Obama SCOTUS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Obama SCOTUS - Essay Example onsideration that such a position should be held by an absolute impartial individual; rather, an individual who would never have been drawn into political variations like ‘The Democratic’ or ‘The Republican’. The surprise choice of a non-political and inexperienced hand for the post has attracted the attention of debates and arguments among the people of America largely. By the selection of Ms.Elena, president Obama marks sport of challenging conservatism. This must have been an example set by him to provide new thoughts from a lady commander for ensuring accurate justice to one and all. Born on April 28, 1960, Ms. Kagan hails from New York City. She has served Harvard Law School as its dean after a pursuit of a creditable career as a professor in law at University of Chicago Law School. Ms. Kagan has had her political experience by serving President Bill Clinton as his policy adviser. Ms. Elena Kagan is expected to deliver her best as the head of the Supreme Bench of American judiciary with her limited experience in the field. But the installation of such a new brain must have focused much on the dispassionate outcome of judicial examination of any issue that could stand on the progress of the political process in America. Ms. Kagan’s approach towards the political system molded her finally to think that result oriented arguments that ignore the plain meaning of the law are the essence of judicial activism. However, the steering of judiciary of America is not going to be a cake walk for Ms. Kagan as she is answerable for the lots of questions asked by the Senate Judiciary Committee. There has been wider speculation that Ms. Kagan can run through easily as she is willfully supported by Patrick Leahy, SJC Chairman and Democratic Senator from Vermont. The spectators are gifted with a high intensity war of ideologies of Jeff Sessions, the Ranking Member of the SJC and a strong Republican who cast doubts on Ms.Kegan’s qualifications. As far as her

Two Superpowers Essay Example for Free

Two Superpowers Essay The two superpowers of the 1930’s, Americans and the Soviet Union, were starting to have a few disagreements, which initiated the COLD WAR’s BEGINNING. The ROOTS OF THE COLD WAR started when the Americans and the Soviets found out they had different systems of economy. Then the Americans and Soviets started to lose trust in each other. In the Yalta Conference, Stalin promised an established â€Å"broadly representative† government and free elections in Eastern Europe and to divide Germany only temporarily into zones of occupation, but he didn’t follow through. After, the American’s needed to MEET THE SOVIET CHALLENGE, because Truman thought that the Stalin had ambitions toward world domination. He wanted to face the Soviets head on. He feared that if the US retreated to isolation the peace and welfare of the nations would be in danger. To solve the soviet challenge, the Americans felt the needed to CONTAIN THE SOVIET EXPANSION. They created the Marshall Plan, which would provide food to famine, fuel to warm houses and factories, and jump start the economic growth. It would help them also by increasing their trade with other nations. After everything that happen the COLD WAR starts to HEAT UP. Stalin gets frustrated and wanted the East Berliners to stay in the East and not go over to the prosperous West. He blockades the roads, stops barges and blocks railways, but the Americans found a way to overcome that challenge, and used airplanes. The Americans made NATO, and the Soviets created the Warsaw Pact. Many things contributed to how the Cold War begins like, the Soviet Challenge, how Americans needed to meet the Soviet Challenge, and the how the Cold War heated up.

Crime and Punishment :: essays papers

Crime and Punishment In the novel Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky, suffering is an important part of every character’s role. However, the message that Dostoevsky wants to present with the main character, Raskolnikov, is not one of the Christian ideas of deliverance through suffering. Rather, it appears to me, as if the Dostoevsky never lets his main character suffer mentally throughout the novel, in relation to the crime that is. His only pain seems to be physical sickness. I chose literary criticism from The Times Literary Supplement, The Literary World and criticism by Lafcadio Hearn, Oscar Wilde and D.I. Pisarev, because they all deal with the issue of how the main character, Raskolnikov, dealt with the crime that he has committed. â€Å"Raskolnikov does not commit the crime because, by way of varied philosophical considerations, and necessity. On the contrary, the conditions he must live under drive him to commit the crime as they have moved him to philosophize about his intentions. In short, Raskolnikov makes the theory up for his own convenience† (Pisarev, 135). I chose this quote because it is a good way to express how and why Raskolnikov would commit this murder. Raskolnikov commits a thought-out murder in a state of delirium. He ends up committing a second murder, which he never wanted to be responsible for. He kills Lizaveta, an exceedingly innocent person. But does Dostoevsky every remind us of the murder at any time in the novel again? Not in the physical sense of the crime itself. You as the reader doesn’t ever hear about how heavily the murders are weighing on his heart, or how he is tormented by visions of the crime. Raskolnikov doesn’t feel the least bit guilty about having committed the crime; only his pride is being hurt. He doesn’t mention the idea of the pain that might arise from recurrent visions of the crime. Raskolnikov never again recalls the massive amount of blood everywhere, the look on Lizaveta’s face when he brings down the axe on her head. These things clearly show that the crime isn’t what might cause his suffering or pain, it is something else. After Raskolnikov is sent off to Siberia, he doesn’t feel regretful. He grows depressed only when he learns of his mother’s death. He still hasn’t found any reason to feel remorse for his crime.

Importance of leading teams to achieve organisational goals and objectives Essay

1. Evaluate the role of leadership in helping teams to achieve organisational goals and objectives What is it that leaders do to help their teams achieve organisational goals and objectives? Every organisation has goals and objectives which are essential for it to succeed in an ever changing environment. Ken Blanchard’s study of leadership identified two broad types of behaviour, directive and supportive, and the extent to which these are combined are demonstrated in Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership model. Among other things this model suggests that a leader needs to be adaptable to a given situation and aware of the social context in which they work. There are evidently numerous ways a leader helps their team to achieve goals and objectives and these are summarised in John Adair’s model of action centred leadership which defines three core management responsibilities: achieving the task, managing the team or group and managing individuals. To help their team achieve goals and objectives a leader must undertake certain functional responsibilities which include: defining objectives, briefing, planning, monitoring and evaluating, with these being continuous as new situations develop and objectives change. At the same time a leader needs to be able to recognise and encourage individual strengths, while being aware of and facilitating improvement in areas of weakness, an awareness of team and individual motivating factors is also crucial. Leaders must also be able to adapt their style of leadership taking into account the varying factors of the task such as time, complexity, resources and individual expertise. Why are these actions  important? The importance of the functional responsibilities are evident, to get the job done! For instance without planning a team has no direction, and no evaluation means that how well the plan is working is unknown and therefore pretty useless. Motivating a team is also a high priority as morale has a significant impact upon long term productivity and hence success. The ability to adapt ones leadership style is significant as situations are open to change, a simple task with little time to complete will require a different approach to one with opposing factors, and the success of each are highly dependent on the approach taken. Individual encouragement and improvement is also necessary as a person’s attitude to the goal or objective is largely influenced by their own feelings towards it and involvement in it. In the areas of task, team and individuals the importance lies in incorporating all three as neglect of one will affect the others. Assessment unit title ILM unit no. AMSPAR unit no Understand the importance of leading teams to achieve organisational goals and objectives M5.46/1 604/1 Assessment Criteria 2. Assess the effectiveness of own organisation in measuring team performance against organisational goals and objectives. How effective is the organisation in measuring team performance – is it â€Å"fit for purpose†? In many areas my own organisations performance measures are â€Å"fit for purpose†, there are some however that could be improved. What part of measuring for performance does the organisation do well? QOF achievement is measured using a data extraction system which automatically monitors our achievement in Vision in real time, and as it forms a large part of the practice income it is essential that we have access to it at any time. This allows us to measure data entry frequency and quality. Prescribing targets. We have an annual prescribing budget for the practice which is monitored on a monthly basis, overspend is highlighted and the GP’s have to work on reducing it. An audit of incoming telephone calls is carried out periodically which gives us a good idea of numbers of calls, waiting times and how many are abandoned which in turn enables us to measure the call handling performance. We aim to process script requests within 48hrs and an audit of this is used to measure the percentage of which are completed in this time. What does it not do so well? Staff appraisals – the current format is woefully lacking. There is a very limited form given to staff members to fill out before and the appraisal itself constitutes a friendly chat with no objectives set. 100% of team members when asked express the opinion that the process is currently a â€Å"waste of time†. This results in individual performance not being measured. There are currently no reception team meetings. These would serve as a measure of on-going performance as objectives and progress can be discussed. Instead there is a predominant reactionary attitude to problems that arise instead of planning to avoid them where possible. What are the implications of your findings? The organisation performs well when staffed with appropriately skilled people  but takes a long time to bring new staff up to the required level of competence. Communication is poor at times which results in low team spirit and this is further impacted by the negative appraisal experience. The current appraisal system also fails to develop individuals as objectives and goals are not set and hence provide little motivation or progression. Assessment unit title ILM unit no. AMSPAR unit no Be able to develop and lead teams M5.46/2 604/2 Assessment Criteria 1. Critically review your own ability to develop and lead teams to achieve organisational goals and objectives Assessment unit title ILM unit no. AMSPAR unit no Understand own ability to fulfil the leadership role M5.06/1 607/1 Assessment Criteria 1. Evaluate your ability to use a range of leadership styles, in different situations and with different types of people, to fulfil the leadership role Give three examples of the different personalities or situations you have in your team. 1. New starter who has been in the team for two weeks. Enthusiastic but lacking skills. 2. Senior team member who has been in the job for nineteen  years. Highly skilled but lacks motivation. 3. Team member been in job three years. Very capable but lacks confidence to work alone. How does this affect the way you manage them? If I class these individuals using Hersey and Blanchard’s development levels their differences influence the approach I try to take when dealing with them. Person 1 needs a high level of both direction and support, whereas persons 2 & 3 need high support but less direction. Think about each of the different styles you have chosen (e.g. Telling, Selling, Consulting & Delegating). For each style†¦ Style 1 (name this style and describe it in twenty words or less) Telling or Autocratic – Roles and goals are extensively clarified, the leader defines objectives and standards with performance being closely monitored. Give an example showing when you have used this style. Centralised computer system failure requiring emergency procedures to be put into place to maintain a safe level of patient care. Was it effective? Give yourself a score out of 10†¦ 10 Explain why you gave yourself that score: why was it the right (or the wrong!) thing to do? The nature of the problem meant that there was no time for discussion. Operable working practices needed to be adopted instantly with team members being assigned specific tasks. The problem was short term. Does applying this style come easily to you? Why or why not? Yes – my natural tendency leans heavily to a directive approach and I easily trust my judgement in situations which need immediate response. Style 2 (name this style and describe it in twenty words or less) Selling or Coaching – The leader provides direction with two-way communication used and support provided, allowing the team to buy into the process. Give an example showing when you have used this style. Explaining a new method of recording instances of pharmacies losing prescriptions and the benefit of having the subsequent data. Was it effective? Give yourself a score out of 10†¦ Explain why you gave yourself that score: why was it the right (or the wrong!) thing to do? Because retrospectively I wasn’t aware of all the factors which would affect the outcome or best working practice. Other team members were therefore the idea was very hard to sell as its failings were quickly apparent. The situation would have benefited from a more participative approach. Does applying this style come easily to you? Why or why not? No – I find it much easier to either tell people what I want to happen, or to open the process with input from everybody. I doubt my sole decision if I there is time to analyse it. Style 3 (name this style and describe it in twenty words or less) Consulting or Participative – Emphasis is on joint decision making, with team members allowed more freedom to take initiative and regular support maintained. Give an example showing when you have used this style. When considering changing the appointment system due to low patient satisfaction a meeting was held with the reception team. Was it effective? Give yourself a score out of 10†¦ Explain why you gave yourself that score: why was it the right (or the wrong!) thing to do? The reception team were the most knowledgeable about the day to day demands upon the current system and the most significant shortcomings. Their involvement in the decision making created a revised system which best addressed the current failings. Does applying this style come easily to you? Why or why not? Yes – despite scoring heavily towards a directive approach on questionnaires, I feel comfortable discussing problems within a group and value the input of others in an area where their expertise is greater than mine. Style 4 (name this style and describe it in twenty words or less) Delegating – The leader remains involved in decisions but passes responsibility for tasks and processes to the individual or group. Give an example showing when you have used this style. When requesting that a senior team member be responsible for producing the annual significant event report. Was it effective? Give yourself a score out of 10†¦ Explain why you gave yourself that score: why was it the right (or the wrong!) thing to do? The report needed updating periodically and completing by the end of the year. The team member in question had the required capability and could be trusted to fulfil the objective in a way that they saw fit. There was no specific format that the report had to take. Does applying this style come easily to you? Why or why not? No – I worry that people will have a negative response to being asked. Thinking about how easy (or difficult) you find it to apply each style†¦ What factors should you take into account before deciding which style to use? There are a number of factors that I would take into account: The ability of individuals or the team as a whole, the time available to complete the objective, the complexity of the issue and who has the most expertise, not always the person in charge! What score would you give yourself, out of ten, for your ability to apply different leadership styles? Explain that score here: 6 – Some styles come easier to me than others, on a situational leadership style scoring sheet my score was highly directive, suggesting that I subconsciously tend towards a more autocratic approach. Feedback from other team members has also shown this to be the case and coupled with my inexperience in a leading role results in me not always making the most appropriate choices. Assessment unit title ILM unit no. AMSPAR unit no Be able to develop and lead teams M5.46/2 604/2 Assessment Criteria 1. [Be able to] implement changes to your leadership style in order to more effectively develop and lead teams Change proposed (Specific, Measurable) How best to implement this (Achievable) Resources Schedule (Timed) Create new staff appraisal system for reception team, which will improve knowledge of individual strengths. Up to 75% of team members to answer on feedback forms that appraisal was of â€Å"some use† to them. Ask practice manager if I can attend upcoming seminar which includes section on appraisals. Practice manager to be consulted about possible budget for training and time available. Training completed by 30/09/13, one month before start of appraisals. Improve self -confidence. Do confidence scoring questionnaires now and in six weeks’ time. Complete daily visualisations from self-help book. Guided visualisation CD and questionnaires. Review with questionnaire six weeks. Create a more balanced leadership approach, currently heavily directive. Complete leadership style questionnaire now and in eight weeks’ time. Ask for anonymous feedback from team. Contact consensus training provider to clarify cost and duration. Set time aside to complete training. Practice manager to be consulted about possible budget for training and time available. Review with questionnaire and feedback in eight weeks. References Cherith Simmons Learning and Development 2013 Leadership, supervision and team building information pack. Mind Tools Ltd (2013) The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory. Available at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_44.htm. Date accessed 06/06/13 businessballs.com (2013) action centred leadership. Available at: http://businessballs.com/action.htm. Date accessed 06/06/13.

Gps Based Train Tracking

GPS/GSM based train tracking system – utilizing mobile networks to support public transportation. Dileepa Jayakody, Mananu Gunawardana, Nipuna Wicrama Surendra, Dayan Gayasri Jayasekara, Chanaka Upendra, Supervisor, Rangana De Silva Abstract : The paper presents a solution implemented at Sri Lanka, to provide an intelligent train tracking and management system to improve the existing railway transport service.The solution is based on powerful combination of mobile computing, Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), Global Positioning System (GPS), Geographical Information System (GIS) technologies and software. The in-built GPS module identifies the train location with a highest accuracy and transfers the information to the central system via GSM. The availability of this information allows the Train Controller to take accurate decisions as for the train location. Location data can be further processed to provide visual positioning using maps granting a wholesome view on train location.Positioning data along with train speed helps the administration to identify the possible safety issues and react to them effectively using the communication methods provided by the system. Additionally, the location information can be used to facilitate accurate scheduling with regard to train arrival and departure on each station. Introduction Rapid growth in the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a worldwide phenomenon experienced today. Emergence of wireless and mobile technologies plays a key role in the global ICT boost, unfolding a new era of communication technology.Global private sector was the first to explore the endless opportunities and potential of wireless technologies, by redesigning the business processes with the integration of latest wireless and mobile technologies to have the competitive advantage in the business world. Today, the ability to achieve organization’s goals depends purely on the availability, accuracy an d reliability of the information. Governments worldwide have also recognized the high potential in the ICT sector and are using it as a core instrument to facilitate government processes and functions with the goal of uplifting the current standards of living of the society.Governments today are inspired by the concepts like eGovernment and mGoverment where governments are driven by the innovative and intelligent use of ICT as a service provider for government activities and distribution of public information. ICT combined with latest mobile and wireless technologies can be used effectively to streamline government activities and public service delivery process to improve productivity and drastically reduce capital expenditure, time and effort. Many governments have identified potential areas to be developed via the effective implementation of ICT based solutions that will meet the demands of the future world.The transportation infrastructure is one such area, which can be improved to provide an efficient, dependable and safe service to the general public with the integration of advanced communication technology. Appropriate adoption of technology would assist seamless administration of resources that would positively impact the country’s economy. The railway services in Sri Lanka are rendered by the Sri Lanka railways Department, which is wholly owned by the public sector of the country. The government is seeking methods to improve the efficiency of this service with the main objective of providing a better service to the train commuters.However, the effort of the government is constrained by the lack of funding and inappropriateness of the current solutions. But the development of ICT has revealed many options to uplift the railway service at a lower cost. Accurate train positioning has been a fundamental requirement to improve the efficiency of the service. The current switch based train-tracking system used by Sri Lanka Railways (SLR) supports the t rain controllers to manage the train operation by providing the train’s location. The location data provided by this system lacks in dependability.Furthermore, the maintenance of the system accounts to a large portion of total cost incurred on the railway service. Majority of these systems (especially outside the Colombo Suburban Area) offers low accuracy in terms of indicating the location of a train to the Train Controllers. Installing the systems, which can accurately provide such readings are really expensive and the total cost of ownership is unbearable for SLR. The train safety has been an issue with the increasing number of incidents being reported that has caused death and injury.Majority of deaths on the railway involve third parties with the incursion onto the level crossings. Average train accident would cost millions of Sri Lankan rupees and these can be avoided if there is a mechanism to track the train location and speed and warn the locomotive drivers about pos sible safety issues. Additionally, the train commuters also face difficulties due to frequent train delays, as the administration is unable to provide accurate schedules based on train’s location and speed.The solution is a comprehensive GPS/GSM based train tracking system, which provides accurate, dependable and timely information to the controller. The inbuilt GPS module identifies the train location with a highest accuracy and transfers the information to the central system via GSM. The availability of this information allows the Train Controller to take accurate decisions as for the train location. Location data can be further processed to provide visual positioning using maps granting a wholesome view on train location.Positioning data along with train speed helps the administration to identify the possible safety issues and react to them effectively using the communication methods provided by the system. Additionally, the location information can be used to facilitate a ccurate scheduling with regard to train arrival and departure on each station. This information can also be made available for the commuters to identify any train delay in advance making this service more reliable. Railway services in Sri Lanka The Sri express, Lanka Railways Department provides long distance and intercity Colombo commuter, parcel and mail, freight and provision of special harter trains. This accounts to a provision of services to 105 million passengers and transfer of 1. 6 Million metric tonnes of freight per annum. The railways are a vital part of the country's transport infrastructure. As the economy grows, demand for efficient transport services increases, which the rail industry has an important role to play in meeting. The rail industry is making progress in increasing the number of passengers carried, as well as its share of the freight market, and in improving its customer focus and its levels of performance and safety.Railway Today In 2008, railway losses a mounted to LKR 4,553 million and state bus transport losses amounted to LKR 3,554 million, giving a total of LKR 8,107 million losses on state transport. This is not just a one- time phenomenon, but has been the trend for the last few decades. The total losses from the railway alone since 1999 have been LKR 28,052 million. That means, on average, the railway lost LKR 234 million every month over the past ten years; or, to make it even more graphic, LKR 7. 79 million every single day for the last ten years [1].This depicts the current state of the railways system in Sri Lanka as for the efficiency and general acceptance of the service. Reliability matters to the railway’s customers and to the economy at large. Train delay, a common phenomenon in Sri Lanka is considered to be inevitable and an acceptable scenario. A train delay might wary from 15mins to many hours. There are occasions where this has caused disputes among the commuters and the administration but the problem stil l remains unresolved. Railways department maintains a fixed schedule on train arrival and departure but does not pre-update based on potential delays.As a result the commuters face many problems and waste time and energy that can be used more productively. The provision of safe and reliable services is a fundamental requirement of the railway as thousands rely on this service as their prime mode of transportation. The railway accidents accounts to death, injury and a large cost to the government. Most of the accidents are in form of derailments, which occur infrequently but have the potential to result in a large number of casualties. The most significant contributors of these accidents involve track and signaling faults.Lack of communication between the controllers and the drivers might prevent the preliminary precautionary actions being taken to avoid such accidents. Additionally, the danger relies on the fact that there would be no mechanism to identify the potential safety issue s as for the unawareness of trains speed and location. The railways department has set itself several objectives to address this situation through a quantitative improvement of its services. It is planned to increase railway share of passenger transport from percent 5% to 10% and Modal share of freight transport from 2% to 10% by 2010[2].Additionally, the department has identified the importance of improving the safety and efficiency of the service and has set the following objectives in its strategic plan; †¢ Improve cleanliness & quality of coachers / stations †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Reduce train delays by 25 % and accidents/ derailment by 50% Remove all speed restrictions less than 8 Km Ph Establish management structure based on performance evaluation and monitoring process Enhance the percentage of efficiency Put in place a methodology for utilization of public funds corresponding to specific services to make the present negative contribution in to a positiv e oneThere’re several constraints that needs to be addressed in order to achieve these objectives as this might even require complete reengineering of certain technological aspects of the current system. The main constraint of course is the lack of funding. Railways are suffering from historic under-investment stretching back for decades that could be assumed to be so for the foreseeable future as well. However, it’s possible to develop effective solution that is economically feasible to the government. This would only be possible with the appropriate introduction of new technological solutions that achieve both performance and cost goals.Provisions for the future Setting objectives won’t be adequate for the development of the railway service in Sri Lanka. There should be effective and appropriate steps taken with a vision on addressing future demands and expansion. These steps should involve further planning, extensive designing, implementation of solutions and maintaining such systems in order to sustain the service. There are several potential steps that can be taken in order to address most of the aforementioned issues associated with the railway service that in turn would assist the Railways department in achieving its strategic goals.Improving Safety The Railway department of Sri Lanka carries about 150 million passengers per annum and the safety of such service can never be taken for granted. Passengers are entitled to expect to travel in safety throughout their journey and the government should be committed to protect the passengers and employers form any safety issue that might rise during the journey. Effective safety planning requires a detailed understanding of key risk areas; the activities or circumstances where the safety risk to passengers, the workforce and the public is greatest.This allows resources and effort to be concentrated where they will have the greatest impact. Following are the main security issues identified i n Sri Lanka; †¢ †¢ Infrastructure engineering issues – derailment, signaling, points and crossings Public behavior – Assault, objects on line, objects thrown at trains, accidents at level crossings †¢ †¢ Passenger behavior – Struck against fixed objects, falling from train in running Workforce issues – maintenance error, control errors The main safety issues are in the form of accidents that mostly involve third parties other than the passengers and the employers.However, infrastructure safety threats and workforce issues accounts to a considerable amount identified in Sri Lanka. Most of the infrastructure issues are associated with signaling and accident. This can be addressed by developing a communication channel between the train and the control center. The control center should be able to identify the train’s location and speed to recognize possible safety threats; such as collision domains, speeding and noncompliance to sig nals. The control center should also be able to notify the locomotive drivers of the security threat.This will allow the drivers to avoid or at least minimize the harmful consequences. New system-management technology combined with accurate knowledge of train position will give the opportunity to present drivers with advisory speeds as well as safety-critical speeds, aimed at maintaining the flow of traffic by regulating trains in advance of points of conflict so as to avoid or minimize the need to stop trains to await paths. Human intervention at control centers can lead to accidents due to human error or negligence.For an instance if the cross point calculation is done manually it can lead to accidents if an erroneous value is communicated. These problems can only be solved via an automated system, which will handle these tasks and would consequently avoid human error. Improving Reliability & Availability The trust on the railway as a reliable service has degraded over the last fe w decades due to poor provision of services to the general public. This is mainly due to the frequent delays experienced specially in long distance services. A reliable railway is the single most important requirement of passengers.Delays are an unproductive use of people’s time, and serious delays might disrupt their travel plans. The initial cause of a delay can be: †¢ †¢ †¢ An infrastructure problem for which railway department is responsible (for example, a signaling problem or a speed restriction imposed in response to a track defect); An operational problem for which a train operator is responsible (for example, the breakdown of a train); and An incident that is largely beyond the railway’s control (for example, an accident involving a third party)The signaling problems and accidents involving third parties can be minimized using a communication channel between the drivers and the control centers. The control center should be informed of the trainà ¢â‚¬â„¢s current position and speed that should be based on an accurate, dependable source of data. Delays can be minimized with driver advisory speeds, improved platform departure times, backed by predictive routing algorithms and supporting regulation of train movements through junctions, can ensure presentation of trains just in time to utilize a free path, rather than stopping and starting from rest when a path becomes available.None of these solutions will be possible unless the current tracking system is replaced by a dependable and a more informative system that is capable of providing accurate train position and speeds of the entire network. The cost of train control should fall rapidly once real-time train location systems that are suitable to the local context is identified and are implemented.It is likely that operations on most regional lines will be controlled from an operations centre, through low-cost wireless technology such as GSM, the future development of which wi ll allow increased capacity for train control systems, regulation, and improved passenger safety services. Improving Communication and Public Awareness Lack of information regarding train schedules, delays, and low accuracy of the schedules are to become worse within the context of expansions and would only result in more time spent on the platform, consequently resulting in public dissatisfaction and frustration.There are several constraints identified that would prevent the railways from providing accurate schedules and other information. †¢ †¢ The static nature of the information sources (ex: static web pages and notifications at stations) Deficiencies of the current tracking system General public is made aware of the train schedules using notifications at train stations and via the official web site of the railways department.However, none of these methods will provide accurate data as for the static nature of the web site and the notifications at the station. Addition ally, the deficiencies of the current tracking system impose constraints on providing accurate, dependable and timely information to the user. The switched based tracking system used by the railways department is yet to cover the entire network but would cost a considerable amount for expansion and maintenance thus, emphasizes the need of an alternative that would be more accurate and cost effective.This limits effective decision-making due to inaccuracy and would also lead to accidents. Additional train capacity and better service performance will be the key for success, but the coherent use of technology to deliver information on train status in real time will not only improve utilization, but also offer seamless planning as well as accurate information on availability of passenger services.Further enhancements of such system would even grant passengers capabilities such as text messages informing accurate arrival and departure times and even the seating capacity of the train. GPS /GSM Based Train Tracking System We strongly believe that the correct combination of latest information and communication technologies can provide an effective and feasible solution for the requirement of a reliable and accurate train tracking system to improve the efficiency and productivity of Sri Lanka Railways.The solution we propose encompasses a powerful combination of mobile computing, Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), Global Positioning System (GPS), Geographical Information System (GIS) technologies and software to provide an intelligent train tracking and management system to improve the existing railway transport service. All these technologies are seamlessly integrated to build a robust, scalable architecture as illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. : High Level Architecture The fundamental process in our system is obtaining train location using GPS technology and transmitting the data via GSM network to the central control unit for data processing and information anal ysis. Real- time positioning information received by the server is made meaningful and extremely useful for the end user through integration of GIS technology where the end user can better organize and utilize information from a graphical view point. Our system consists of 3 main modules. †¢ †¢ †¢ The portable hardware unit (GPS/GSM train locator unit) Central server which andles receiving information from train locators and concurrent user requests Graphical User Interface (GUI) to provide services to our stakeholders The train locator unit planted in the train is designed and implemented, considering the cost factor, size of the module, durability and low power consumption. The power supply unit of the module is a main factor which decides the feasibility of the unit, as it should sustain a seamless supply of electricity at a low voltage for the locator module to function properly.The GPS receiver of the unit is capable of identifying the latitudinal and longitudina l position and ground speed of the specific train by receiving information from the GPS satellites. The position data is periodically sent to the central server through the GSM transmitter of the module. The device is capable of storing data in a buffer at a time of GSM connectivity failure, and can synchronize with the remote server when GSM is back online. The device can also respond to commands and data calls from the remote server as per administrative requirements of the train controllers.We have chosen GSM as the communication medium between the train locator and the central server to improve availability of our system by utilizing the existing GSM network which covers the whole country. The use of GSM over GPRS significantly improves the feasibility and availability of our system. Despite the high mobile penetration and number of mobile telecom service providers (GSM) covering the island, GPRS usage and the coverage is poor in many rural parts of Sri Lanka. Thus, selection of GSM over GPRS data communication is feasible and enables island wide service provisioning.The competition between the GSM service providers has also lead to high quality GSM services at fair rates. The central control system includes a server for handling and processing all the position information received from train locators via the GSM network. The server automatically updates the database with latest position, speed and direction information of each train. The server carries out information processing and analyzing in order to cater for different requirements of the users of our system.The main stakeholders of our system are the railway Department), locomotive drivers and the train administrators (Railway commuters. Our main objective is to be instrumental in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of Sri Lanka Railway services by fulfilling the fundamental requirement of reliable and real time information of train positioning for monitoring and administration purposes by th e Railway Department. The end user of our system is offered with an easy to use graphical user interface for information analysis and administration tasks.The web based access and extensible mobile access to our software is designed to be intuitive for the end user to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of our system. We have incorporated GIS techniques to provide location specific data organized in layers so the end user can better apprehend the information provided by the system. a very good Satellite images providing visual positioning can serve as background when used in conjunction with map data specifying the location.Our system essentially provides functionality for the railway administrator to monitor the progress of a particular train or a group of trains operating in a geographical area. The user can search and locate trains by the train ID, train name, current location or nearest station etc. Information such as train speed, direction can also be given along with re al time train positioning data. The train control and management process includes management of heavy traffic of passenger and freight trains, which operates in complex running patterns on the railway network.The train controller needs to ensure that passenger trains are adhering to the schedules as well to find efficient routes for unscheduled freight trains. Recording the train movements, arrival/departure at railway stations, fuel status, railway track conditions, and passenger information is a tedious task for the train controllers and would be time consuming if done manually. The accuracy of this information is very important to ensure smooth functioning of the railway service as well as to optimize resource planning.For example at a point of a railway-track failure or an accident, train controller should be able to decide on how to utilize existing resources and efficient alternative routes to ensure system availability of the railway service in that region. Thus our train tra cking system can be enhanced to automate the train control and management process of the Railway Department in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the railway services provided. Following is a list of facilities that can be offered by our system to automate the train control and management process. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢Automatic record keeping of train operations and events Functionality to generate time-distance graph for trains which can be used to control and plan the train movements Facility to generate user defined reports and graphs on train movements, arrival-departure at each station, schedule adherence etc. Facility to playback the progress of each train and events for review purposes Automated schedule regulation Forecasting functionality on train arrival-departure at different stations Automatic detection of over speeding, non-adherence r egulations, rail-track failures, train delays etc. o traffic Facilit y to send alerts/warnings to particular train drivers on possible collisions, derailment through the system Automatic rail crossing control By automating the process of record keeping of train traveling, the load of paper work on the train controller is dramatically reduced. This would also ensure accuracy and integrity of the data eliminating human error when documentation is done manually. A single entry point of data ensures there’s no ambiguity of the data recorded in the system.The logged data on arrival-departure time at different stations, number of passengers onboard, freight details, signaling and fuel status at different stations, are instrumental for railway administration when evaluating performance of trains and locomotive drivers. Graphical representation of these data with ability to compare with historical data will be instrumental for the administration to take effective decisions. Various user defined reports on train activities, driver performance, passenge r and freight information also support timely and accurate decision making by the administration.Time-distance graph is vital for the train traffic regulation process. The graph gives the user a wholesome view of the train circulation, railway infrastructure state in different regions and enables the user to detect abnormal conditions and conflicts. The graph is useful for the train operator to identify traffic problems in advance and take precautions to resolve the problems. Data mining is a method of extracting patterns from data [3].The use of advance data mining techniques combined with complex algorithms such as neural networks, genetic algorithms and rule induction can be instrumental in identifying hidden patterns from enormous amount of data. Spatial data mining technique combines data mining with GIS to find patterns in spatial data, which could be a powerful tool for applications using geographical information such as our system. With the huge amount of data pertaining to train operations collected daily, process of information analysis using conventional methods would be a difficult task.Hence, the use of spatial data mining techniques would drastically improve the productivity and effectiveness of the train control and management process carried out through our system. Facility to playback past activities on the railway, enables the user to review and analyze operational situations in the past. Data mining operations can be used effectively in combination with the playback function to identify sequential patterns of particular activities and their impact on the railway traffic.For example, at an unfortunate incident of a train collision, train controllers can use the playback feature combined with the data mining techniques to analyze and identify the sequence of activities which resulted in that accident. With that knowledge, railway administrators can take necessary precautions and trigger alerting mechanisms to avoid such unfortunate accidents i n future, making the railway transportation much safer. Improving safety and availability of railway transport service requires detection and triggering of alerting mechanisms to avoid possible train collisions and other forms of adverse incidents.Constant monitoring of train location, speed, traffic conditions, rail-track conditions and adherence to traffic regulations helps the train controllers to detect potential collisions and derailments. A proper alerting framework is vital in order to avoid such adverse incidents by alerting the locomotive drivers in advance. Our system facilitates a comprehensive alerting mechanism by enabling the train controllers to send alerts/ notifications to locomotive drivers via GSM connection.The hardware unit planted in the train can be enhanced to prompt the alerts to the driver in graphical and audible forms. A LED display unit and an alarm bell to signal adverse conditions can be integrated with the hardware unit to provide a complete alerting framework. The unit can be further enhanced to support voice communication between train controllers and locomotive drivers in order to provide guidance and important messages to the particular driver. This would also enable locomotive drivers to contact the control unit at a state of emergency.Furthermore the system can be incorporated to significantly improve safety at railway and road intersection points. Over the years, many road accidents have occurred at railway crossings imposing a critical safety threat to both train commuters and passengers in vehicles. Such accidents are caused mainly by the unreliability of the safety mechanisms such as blocking arms and signal lights used at the crossing point. Thus our system can be extended to improve the reliability of such safety mechanisms by synchronizing the railway crossing control process with the incoming train’s position.We can provide accurate real time information on train position, speed and length of the train to sy nchronize the functions of rail crossing with the train movements. The productivity of the service can be significantly improved by providing accurate predictions on approaching train at the rail-road crossing and displaying amount of remaining time to clear the crossing from train traffic. Alarm triggers to alert road vehicles approaching too close to the rail-road crossing at a point of train approaching, can also be incorporated to improve the effectiveness of our solution.Thus the system is instrumental in improving safety of both railway passengers and people crossing rail-road cross points. Integrating an intelligent forecasting mechanism on arrival-departure time at different railway stations can further enhance the efficiency and productivity of our system. Train schedule is inevitably subject to train delays which can occur due to various reasons such as excessive train load, rail track failures, train traffic, adverse weather conditions etc.A number of operational paramete rs such as railway traffic, train priority, efficient routes, and railway infrastructure conditions have to be taken into consideration to accurately forecast train arrival time at various stations. Here also data mining with other complex algorithms can be instrumental to provide accurate forecasting on train arrival-departure at stations. The train schedule regulations are automatically updated and stakeholders can be notified. One of the main purposes of our system is to facilitate accurate public information istribution with regard to railway services and operations. Thus, our system can be incorporated to design and implement innovative Passenger Information Systems (PIS) based on real time information of train positions. LED-Display panels put up at railway stations can display arrivaldeparture time of each train enabling the public user to make informed decisions on their journeys. Route number, destination of the arriving vehicle and waiting time can be displayed with real t ime information.With accurate forecasting of train arrival-departure at stations, Railway Department can improve the loyal customer base and also attract new passengers to railway transport service by winning their trust and reducing user uncertainty of using public transport facilities. The user experience can be further enhanced by introducing information Kiosks which can provide information to travelers in an intuitive and interactive manner to make informed decisions on selecting train routes and departure time.The interactive kiosk can be used to obtain travel information such as alternate routes to specified destination, route details on the railway map and latest information on train schedules etc. As a marketing strategy, information regarding the particular city, culture and commercial activities can also be provided to the user through the kiosk. Another extension of the PIS system is delivering real time train information to handheld devices such as mobile phones and PDAs .With the increasing interest on mobile applications, access to latest train schedule information via mobile connection can be influential for improving customer base of the railway service. Easy to use mobile applications can be designed and implemented to enable train commuters to easily subscribe to our service and obtain latest train schedule information via mobile devices. Reliability and customer loyalty of the railway services can be significantly improved by taking such action to improve accurate public information distribution of the current status of railway services.Conclusion After seeing many advancements and changes in the location tracking technology, Sri Lanka Railways now has the ability to pin point the location and other attributes of an operational train in an economical accurate manner. Thus it is visible that to keep up with the today’s demand for information and to comply with the citizen centric governance, technological advancements is essential for a 3rd world country, as after all the deciding factors of a country’s success would be on the how ollaborative and duplex the governance framework in terms of seamless information flow of accurate and timely information between governance ecosystem. Reference [1] Rohan Samarajiva, May 2009, Ideas to win the war: Sri Lanka's main line railway, http://www. lankabusinessonline. com/print. php? nid=1238565096 [2] Sri Lanka Railway Department 2007, n. d. , Future Plans, http://www. railway. gov. lk/future_plan. html